1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety devices to protect children and individuals with impaired equilibrium from sharp corners found in ordinary living environments. More particularly, the present invention relates to padded corner covers that can be attached to the corners of walls, furniture, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
For the purposes of this document, the term, “corner” shall refer to an outside corner created by two generally planar surfaces coming together at a line, referred to herein as a “two-sided corner” or three planar surfaces coming together at a point, referred to herein as a “three-sided”. The planar surfaces are not necessarily perpendicular to each other.
It is commonly known and understood that sharp corners on furniture or walls pose a risk to small children. Such exposed corners also pose a risk to adults with balance disorders, generally related the inner ear such as Labyrinthitis/vestibular neuritis or Menière's disease. Dizziness can also be caused by migraine headaches, reduced blood flow to the inner ear, and some drugs, e.g., taken for hypertension. There are many other reasons an adult can suffer from dizziness which can pose other health hazards.
To reduce the risk to children and adults posed by sharp corners, it is desirable to provide some sort of padding over the sharp corners. The art of padded corner covers is crowded with various devices and systems for protecting children from sharp corners found in many living environments. Unfortunately, these prior art devices suffer from deficiencies in terms of aesthetics, reusability, and ability to be easily cleaned, and therefore have not been successful.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,030,728, issued Apr. 24, 1962 to Wesman, shows cushioning corner pieces formed of a resilient material such as rubber, polyvinyl plastic, a foam-type plastic (col. 2, lines 17-19), or foam rubber that may be covered with fabric, leather, plastic, or rubber (col. 3, lines 25-32). This device comprises a number of complex elements including a top element, two side elements, and a plurality of vertically spaced bottom elements, each formed of a complex shape having a plurality of grooves for the purpose of gripping or retaining, by suction, the corner piece onto the corner. It is labor intensive to install (col. 2, lines 62-col. 3, line 15) and is not very aesthetically pleasing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,041,775, issued Jul. 3, 1962 to Brown, Jr., et al., shows a molded corner pad made from cushioning material such as foam rubber or plastic. The device may be manufactured in different colors or be enclosed in a fabric or other material. However, foam rubber is difficult to clean and there is no explanation as to how the foam rubber is covered in fabric so that the fabric stays in place when in use, but does not come apart when being cleaned. Furthermore, the device is not sufficiently durable for extended use.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,150,854, issued Sep. 29, 1964 to Jamieson, discloses a safety device readily mountable temporarily on exposed corners to remove hazards to infants, children, elderly, and other persons moving about such exposed objects. The device is molded from soft rubber or soft resilient thermoplastic materials such as polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene. It is attached to furniture by pressure sensitive adhesive. This device protects only the very corner using a bulbous projection. It is not sufficiently padded and may be considered unsightly.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,968, issued Feb. 27, 1973 to Olsen et al., shows a surface-mounted wall guard that is permanently attached to an external wall corner for protecting the corner from damage caused by accidental impact. While this device may provide some protection to individuals who run or fall into it, it is primarily designed to protect the wall corner itself. Furthermore, it is a permanent installation, requiring nails or screws to hold it in place, which, when removed, would leave unsightly holes. While installed, the visible portion of the device protrudes slightly from the wall and has vertical edges which create an undesirable monolithic appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,725,188, issued Apr. 3, 1972 to Kalt, discloses a heavy foam rubber shock absorbing material formed into a triangular pad for protecting table top corners. The pad thickness tapers in three directions along each of the planar surfaces forming the corner. It is attached using adhesive. This device, while unobtrusive, does not lend itself to the decor of the space in which it is utilized. It is difficult or impossible to clean and reuse and is not very durable, due to the material from which it is made.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,408, issued Nov. 25, 1975 to Smith, discloses an edge and corner protector formed of porous foam material of plastic or rubber with a non-porous skin or outside cover. It is attached to the edge or corner by pressure sensitive adhesive. The foam padding is visible, unsightly, and not very durable. If used on a kitchen countertop as suggested, it could absorb moisture and become moldy.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,354, issued Jun. 1, 1976 to Simikoski, shows a furniture corner protector that uses a plurality of spacer blocks to form up a rounded corner around which impact absorbing material, such as polystyrene foam, is provided. It is attached by adhesive or elastic band that stretches completely around the table top. It extends the table edges on all sides, is complex to install, is not easily cleaned, and is unsightly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,012,878, issued Mar. 22, 1977 to Ellingson, shows an extruded wall corner guard having an inner and outer resilient layer spaced by an air gap. The inner layer is attached to the wall surfaces by adhesive coating and/or screws (col. 2, lines 21-24). The device is intended to protect the corners from wheeled vehicles commonly used in hospital environments (col. 2, lines 6-10). The device may extend the full height of the wall or less (col. 2, lines 26-29). Because this device is extruded, the cross section taken horizontally is constant, giving the device a monolithic look which may be seen as undesirable. It would not blend with the decor of most homes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,231, issued Feb. 7, 1978 to Helms, shows a corner protector constructed from a flexible, rubber like substance (col. 3, lines 3-4) for the purpose of either protecting the corner of an article of furniture from damage, or for protecting children from being hurt by the corner (col. 1, lines 5-10). It is attached either by a suction cup applying negative pressure to a portion of the top surface of the article furniture, or double-sided foam tape (col. 3, lines 5-15). Merely using a suction cup is not likely to sufficiently retain the device in place. Since the device is not upholstered, it is not likely to blend into the decor of most homes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,916, issued May 10, 1988 to Galea, shows a device formed from molded pulp for protecting corners of an article against impact during shipping. The device spaces the article from an outer container; there is no provision for attaching the device to the article, nor is any attempt made to make the device attractive. U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,366, issued Nov. 29, 1988 to Bell, shows a quilted fireplace hearth cover. This device is not suitable for most furnishings, is not suitable for many decors, and must be made to custom dimensions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,902, issued Apr. 4, 1989 to Mason, discloses table top corner protectors comprising an inner core shaped from resilient material such as polystyrene foam, foam rubber, or other similar soft material. The inner material is held in place by adhesive or hook-and-loop fastener (such as that sold under the trademark “VELCRO”). An outer cover comprises a cloth or flexible material to form a mitt which conforms to the outer shape of the core (col. 3, lines 29-50). A pair of draw strings secures the outer cover against the core. The outer cover may be made of any color to go with any decor of a particular home (col. 4, lines 45-46). Unfortunately, the device is secured, either directly or via the hook-and-loop fastener, or using adhesive attached to the polystyrene foam or foam rubber core. Foam rubber does not have sufficient integrity to firmly attach to the adhesive while polystyrene foam is not resilient and may not provide adequate protection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,972, issued Nov. 19, 1991 to Buckshaw et al., discloses a corner bumper formed of polyvinyl chloride which attaches to the furniture surface using reusable adhesive that can be protected between uses by a removable paper backing. The device provides inadequate padding directly above the corner (see FIG. 2 of Buckshaw) and therefore will not protect an individual who falls onto the corner. Furthermore, the vinyl material cannot be upholstered and may not lend itself to a particular home's décor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,575, issued Sep. 22, 1992 to Soifer, discloses a corner bumper having a cylindrical arch extending around the vertical edge of a corner of an article of furniture. This device provides inadequate protection for the case where an individual falls down on the top of the corner. Furthermore, the gap between the corner and the arch is visible (see, FIGS. 1 and 2 of Soifer), which affect the overall aesthetics of the device. Since it cannot be upholstered, it may not blend well with a particular home's décor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,084, issued May 4, 1993 to Rutz, discloses a padded arm and wrist support for typists and other office workers. The pad comprises a rigid frame to which a cushioning material is glued. A covering such as leather or a vinyl-coated fabric, such as that sold under the trademark “NAUGAHYDE”, or similar material, wraps around and is glued to the frame and cushioning, but does not overlap. Adhesive is mounted directly to the frame portion (at an opening in the covering) and glued to the top surface of a desk. (See col. 1, lines 48-60 and col. 2, lines 52-57.) The use of a rigid frame allows the device to be used without adhesive, in which case it simply rests on the top surface of a desk or counter (col. 2, lines 58-60). However, for the purposes of child safety and aesthetics, it would be better to allow the cushioning material to conform somewhat to the corner. For example, if the corner is already slightly rounded off, the angle iron frame takes that advantage away. Furthermore, Rutz does not disclose a porous backing material, which would allow for air to escape when the cushion is compressed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,257, issued Jun. 21, 1994 to Verderose et al., shows a corner protector intended to protect a person's feet from bed legs and corner structures. The protector comprises a first and a second cushioned wall disposed orthogonally to one another, and a flexible web spanning a bottom wall of each corner wall to accommodate a furniture leg thereon (col. 1, lines 44-49). This device is not suitable for cushioning tabletops, since it only protects on two sides and cannot be used with wall corners because the web would interfere.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,609, issued Mar. 5, 1996 to Michelstein, discloses a protective bumper intended to be applied around the complete perimeter of a tabletop. It comprises an outer shell formed of vinyl or thin wall vinyl that is readily deformable but hard enough to resist abuse and abrasion. The shell is filled with soft resilient foam. The shell is cylindrical except on one side where it is closed on a planar side by a layer of adhesive foam. (See col. 2, lines 36-49.) This device will not prevent injury if a child's head or other body part comes down on a furniture corner. Furthermore, it is not suitable for wall corners since it only covers a single side, not both wall surfaces at the corner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,508,078, issued Apr. 16, 1996 to Stalnaker, discloses a wall or tabletop corner pad that is moldable to any shape due to a ductile inner core formed of wire mesh, such as chicken wire. Around this inner core is a quilted, cushioned pad, which is attachable to the corner by hook-and-loop strips. This device extends too far away from the wall and is monolithic in appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,072, issued Jun. 17, 1997 to McCall, discloses a cylindrical cushion with a 90° section removed for attaching to a corner, such as the edge of a tabletop. The cushion is formed from high density plastic foam, such as polyester foam. A cover (material not specified) encloses the foam core and hook and loop fasteners attach it to a tabletop edge. This device is not suitable for table corners and is does not provide sufficient protection for wall corners. Since it is generally cylindrical, it does not have sufficient surface area to maintain its position if used on a wall. It would be too easy for a person to brush past it, causing it to tear away from the wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,336, issued Feb. 1, 2000 to Havens, describes a corner guard similar to the '072 device, but which is a slightly deformed cylinder and is intended as an arm or wrist rest for workstations. The cushion includes an elongated foam cushion having a 90° cut-out. The cushion is formed of polyurethane foam and is covered with a skin of flexible material, such as urethane elastomer, vinyl, or a thermoplastic elastomer that provides resistance to cuts and normal wear and tear. A double-sided adhesive film removably attaches the device to the edge of a table or desk formed by the top and one side. This device is not suitable to protect the corner of a tabletop, nor does it provide sufficient protection for a wall corner.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,774, issued Apr. 4, 2000 to Gelbart, discloses a tabletop corner protection system having a pad for each corner held in place by strings tying adjacent corners together. Looking at FIG. 4 of Gelbart, it appears that it provides reduced padding at the corner, where it is most needed.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus padded corner covers solving the aforementioned problems is desired.